vivacious
Americanadjective
adjective
-
full of high spirits and animation; lively or vital
-
obsolete having or displaying tenacity of life
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of vivacious
First recorded in 1635–45; vivaci(ty) + -ous
Explanation
A vivacious person is lively and spirited: a vivacious dancer might do a back-flip off the wall and then jump into the arms of her partner. Some people are just naturally fun to be around; they sparkle, they animate any group they're part of, they're full of life. That, in fact, is the root meaning of the word: it's from Latin vivere "to live." It has more of a sense of playfulness than lively or animated. Even the most sedentary slob can feel revitalized in the presence of a vivacious soul.
Vocabulary lists containing vivacious
Animal Farm
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 8
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As the sun dips below the horizon, a fleet of onlookers on jet skis and boats idle on the water to catch a peek of the vivacious scene.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
He described his mother as "beautiful, vivacious, a cool mum - you couldn't have wished for a better mum".
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
Hughes’ script supplies Andie with a fount of vivacious wit and self-assurance, which is what makes watching her dull her shine as the film progresses so confounding.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2026
Miriam is vivacious and energetic but dogged by an unexplained sin from her earlier life—a sin that vests itself in the sinister person of her “model.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026
He spoke very quickly, had a vivacious blue eye, and took an evident pleasure in quoting figures.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
